Bug 178932

Summary:	KDE-4 switcher blocks application list
Product:	[I don't know] kde	Reporter:	Ron Pepper <feffer777>
Component:	general	Assignee:	Unassigned bugs mailing-list <unassigned-bugs>
Status:	RESOLVED WORKSFORME
Severity:	wishlist	CC:	andresbajotierra
Priority:	NOR
Version:	unspecified
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	Ubuntu
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:
Attachments:	BoxSwitcher effect here (KDE4.2)

Description Ron Pepper 2008-12-28 00:37:09 UTC

Version:            (using KDE 4.1.3)
OS:                Linux
Installed from:    Ubuntu Packages

After updating to KDE-4, I was disappointed in the application switcher (Alt-Tab). While it is pretty, I do not think it is as functional as the KDE-3 switcher. For those of us who work with many apps open, Alt-Tab presents a large "focus" app in the foreground and a horizontal app list in the background. Unfortunately the large foreground app covers the background list and makes it difficult to mouse click to a specific app. 

All other common gui's WinXP, MacOSX, Gnome and KDE-3 have Alt-Tab switchers that work similarly and allow easy cycling forward, backward or mouse-clicking a specific app. For those of us who work in a mixed environment this is far better than the current "pretty" kde-4 solution. 

If the KDE-4 focus app were smaller, or lower, so that it didn't cover the horizontal list it would be fine.

Comment 1 Dario Andres 2008-12-28 01:21:47 UTC

Are you using KWin compositing and the "Box Switcher" for Alt+Tab? Thanks :)
Here using KDE4.2svn without compositing I get the KDE3 task switcher "window2/widget where you can cycle and mouse click.

Comment 2 Ron Pepper 2008-12-29 07:25:51 UTC

(In reply to comment #1)
> Are you using KWin compositing and the "Box Switcher" for Alt+Tab? Thanks :)
> Here using KDE4.2svn without compositing I get the KDE3 task switcher
> "window2/widget where you can cycle and mouse click.
> 
I think so, I'm running Kubuntu Intrepid. I'm not sure how I would get the KDE3 task switcher that you're mentioning. Could you explain a bit more? thx

Comment 3 Ron Pepper 2008-12-30 00:35:59 UTC

OK, I see how to get the traditional switcher back in Ubuntu Intrepid. I think the wish still stands, though. For those who like the composited effect, it would be more useful if the background horizontal list were vertically separated from the larger foreground focus app. It would make the cosmetically nicer effect more functional.

Comment 4 Dario Andres 2008-12-30 00:41:08 UTC

Created attachment 29749 [details]
BoxSwitcher effect here (KDE4.2)

Do you see something different in your configuration when Compositing is enabled ?

Comment 5 Ron Pepper 2008-12-30 01:04:00 UTC

(In reply to comment #4)
> Created an attachment (id=29749) [details]
> BoxSwitcher effect here (KDE4.2)
> 
> Do you see something different in your configuration when Compositing is
> enabled ?

Thx for the pic, I see the problem now. Two compositing effects were enabled and interfering: Box, and Cover switching. When only BoxSwitcher is enabled, my config is exactly like yours. I don't know if I inadvertently turned both on or if Intrepid had them on by default. In any case, this is not a KDE-4 bug. thx